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20120811

Red Hills

Not one of Georgia O'Keeffe's red hills, but mine. Although Abiquiu is famous for O'Keeffe's work, there are plenty of red hills throughout the region beyond Ghost Ranch. It's a truly beautiful part of New Mexico. The red earth shows up in swaths of land throughout this region. Within a few miles, it can all be sandy brown, and then these amazingly colorful formations rise up.

Near Jemez Pueblo, 9 X 12", oil/canvas panel.

There are some very dark red formations right in Jemez, but this light pink hill was striking against the blue sky and surroundings. Sure makes a painter want to reach for the saturated colors, but I think a more neutral palette said it even better.

Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings.

George Tooker

If you draw, the world becomes more beautiful, far more beautiful. Trees that used to be just scrub suddenly reveal their form. Animals that were ugly make you see their beauty. If you go for a walk, you'll be amazed how different everything can look. Less and less is ugly if every day you recognize beautiful forms in ugliness and learn to love them.